Son Heung-min expresses deep disappointment after South Korea's loss and awaits 2026 World Cup qualification outcome, sharing his heartfelt thoughts.
On 25 June 2026, Son Heung-min, captain and forward of the South Korean national team, spoke after their final Group A match in the 2026 World Cup group stage, where they narrowly lost 0-1 to South Africa.
This left South Korea with just 3 points, finishing third in Group A, while South Africa rose to 4 points, securing second place and advancing to the Round of 32 alongside co-host Mexico, who topped the group with a perfect 9 points.
Although South Korea still has a chance to advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams among 12 groups, they must wait three more days, until 27 June, to see if they qualify or will have to pack up and go home.
Son Heung-min, who started the game on the bench and came on as a substitute for Hwang Hee-chan in the second half, spoke about South Korea's defeat and their chances of advancing: "It's very frustrating that the result didn't go as we hoped, and as players, we are all very disappointed."
"I feel sorry for my teammates that I couldn’t contribute more on the field. I think we need to look at the bigger picture and analyze where things went wrong."
"There are no issues in the locker room atmosphere. It's frustrating that despite our best efforts, the result was unfavorable. No one feels worse than the players themselves, but I can assure you that the team atmosphere is really fine."
"Personally, I don't want to be in this situation where we have to wait and see if we advance to the knockout stage or not. It's disappointing that we didn't get the result that matches the dedication we've put in."
"But now it's beyond our control, and we have to accept whatever fate comes, regardless of the outcome."